American bars often serve light Mexican bottled lagers with a wedge of lime in the neck. The citrus wedge lends flavor and acidity to the beer, although its main role may be simply to add visual interest. Skeptics claim that the lime flavor covers up the skunked flavor that can occur in beer served in a clear bottle. Adding a lime wedge to the neck of a bottle is easy; doing it neatly is a little harder.
Things You'll Need
Lime
Sharp knife
Cutting board
Beer bottle
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Cutting the Lime
Using a sharp knife, trim off the ends of the lime, then cut it lengthwise into halves. Slice each half into 3 or 4 segments, choosing the size of your wedges according to the width of the bottle's neck.
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Inserting the Wedge
Gently squeeze the lime over the neck of the bottle so that the juice drips into the beer. If you're comfortable using a knife, you can press the wedge horizontally onto the edge, allowing the juice to run down the blade into the bottle. Avoid cutting the skin so that the wedge stays in one piece.
Take the wedge by the sides and squeeze it gently; with the juice squeezed out, you should have a minimum of lime juice to worry about. Slide the thin end of the wedge into the mouth of the bottle and press it down gently so that the wedge slides into the neck.
Mixing the Lime Juice
To mix the lime juice more thoroughly with the beer, place your thumb over the mouth of the bottle. Turn the bottle upside down slowly, then turn it upright again. Remove your thumb from the bottle; there will be a small splash of foam when you do this, so hold the bottle safely away from yourself.
Warning
Placing a lime in a bottle's neck with your bare hands is the simplest method, but if you're tending bar it may be technically illegal in some jurisdictions.